Helen Mirren

Helen Mirren (Dame Helen Mirren, born Еле́на Васи́льевна Миро́нова, Helen Lydia Mironoff) (date of birth July, 26 1945) is one of the best known and most respected actresses with an international career that spans stage, screen and television and has won many awards for her powerful and versatile performances, including the Academy Award in 2007 for her performance in The Queen.

Theatre

Helen began her career playing Cleopatra with the National Youth Theatre. She then appeared in rep in Manchester and from there she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. After four notable years at the RSC Helen took a complete change of direction, when she went to work with renowned director Peter Brook's theatre company Centre de Recherche Théâtral and toured Africa and America. Since then her theatre work has spanned numerous productions in the West End, the Fringe, the RSC, the National Theatre and Broadway in the US including A Month in the Country, for which she received a Tony nomination and The Dance of Death on Broadway opposite Ian McKellan. Her recent productions include Orpheus Descending at the Donmar Warehouse and Mourning Becomes Electra at the National Theatre for which she was nominated for an Olivier Best Actress Award. Her most recent performance was in 2009 at the National Theatre in the title role of Racine's Phèdre directed by Nicholas Hytner. This made history when it became the first theatre production to be seen 'live' in cinemas throughout the world.

Film

Helen's film career began with Michael Powell's Age of Consent and other early work included Caligula, but her breakthrough role came in John Mackenzie's The Long Good Friday. Helen continued to make films throughout the 80s including Excaliber, Cal (Best Actress award at Cannes Film Festival), White Nights (directed by Taylor Hackford her husband), Mosquito Coast and in 1989 Peter Greenaway's The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. She earned her first Academy Award nomination for her performance as Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George and her second for her role as the housekeeper in Robert Altman's Gosford Park. Helen's most celebrated role was as Elizabeth 11 in Stephen Frear's The Queen for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress and numerous other awards throughout the world. In recent years, she has starred in Calendar Girls, The Clearing, Shadowboxer and State of Play. Helen's latest release is The Last Station for which she received another Best Actress Academy Award nomination, together with a Golden Globe, SAG and Independent Spirit nominations for her role as Countess Sofya Tolstoy.

Television

Helen's first leading role in television was as Cousin Bette for the BBC in the 70's; other BBC work at that time included The Changeling, The Philanthropist and the outstanding 1979 production of Denis Potter's Blue Remembered Hills. However it was in the award-winning series Prime Suspect as DCI Jane Tennison that Helen became a household name in television. Written by Linda La Plante as a single TV drama it spawned another 4 series in the 90s. Helen reprised the role in 2003 and the final Prime Suspect was released in 2006, bringing this iconic role to its conclusion and for which she won an Emmy for Best Actress. During the 'intermission' from Prime Suspect Helen starred in a number of award winning US TV productions including Losing Chase, Ayn Rand and The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone. Her most recent television role was in Elizabeth I, in which her performance won her an Emmy and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Helen Mirren was appointed a Dame of the British Empire in 2003.

Filmography

Film (Date) Role
The Debt (tbr) Rachel Singer
The Door (tbr) Emerson
Arthur (2011) Hobson
Brighton Rock (2011) Ida
RED (2010) Victoria
The Tempest (2010) Prospera
Love Ranch (2010) Grace Bontempo
The Last Station (2009) Sofya Tolstoy
State of Play (2008) Cameron Lynne
Inkheart (2007) Elinor Loredan
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) Emily Appleton
The Queen (2005) Elizabeth II
Shadowboxer (2005) Rose
The Clearing (2004) Eileen Hayes
Raising Helen (2004) Dominique
Calendar Girls (2002) Chrissie
Gosford Park (2001) Mrs. Wilson
Last Orders (2001) Amy Dodds
The Pledge (2001) Doctor
Monster aka No Such Thing (2001) The Boss
Greenfingers (2001) Georgina Woodhouse
Teaching Mrs Tingle (1999) Mrs Tingle
Some Mother's Son (1996) Kathleen Quigley
The Madness of King George (1994) Queen Charlotte
The Prince of Jutland (1994) Getruth
The Hawk (1993) Anne Marsh
Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991) Lilia Herriton
The Comfort of Strangers (1990) Caroline
Bethune, Making of a Hero (1990) Francis Penny Bethune
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) Georgina Spica
Pascali's Island (1989) Lydia Neuman
When The Whales Came (1988) Clemmie Jenkins
Mosquito Coast (1986) Mother Fox
Heavenly Pursuits (1985) Ruth Chancellor
White Knights (1985) Galina Ivanova
2010 (1984) Tanya Kirbuk
CAL (1984) Marcella
Excalibur (1981) Morgana
The Fiendish Plot of Dr Fu Man Chu (1980) Alice Rage
The Long Good Friday (1980) Victoria
Hussy (1980) Beaty
Caligula (1979) Caesonia
O Lucky Man (1973) Patricia
Savage Messiah (1972) Gosh Boyle
Age of Consent (1969) Cora Ryan

Play (Date) Role, Theatre

Phedre (2009) Phedre, National Theatre
Mourning Becomes Electra (2003) Christine, National Theatre
Dance of Death (2001) Alice, Broadway
Orpheus Descending (2000) Lady, Donmar Warehouse
Collected Stories (1999) Ruth Steiner, Haymarket Theatre
Anthony and Cleopatra (1998) Cleopatra, National Theatre
A Month in the Country (1994) Natalya Petrovna, Roundabout Theatre, NY
A Month in the Country (1994) Natalya Petrovna, Albery Theatre
Sex Please We're Italian (1991) The Young Vic
Two-Way Mirror (1989) Angela, The Young Vic
Madame Bovary (1987) Madame Bovary, Watford Palace
The Roaring Girl (1984) Moll Cutpurse, Barbican Theatre
Extremities (1984) Marjorie, Duchess Theatre
Anthony and Cleopatra (1982) Cleopatra, RSC
Faith Healer (1981) Gracie, Royal Court/The Roundhouse
The Duchess of Malfi (1980) Title role, Royal Exchange
Measure for Measure (1979) Isabella, Riverside
Henry VI (1977) Margaret, RSC
The Seagull (1975) Nina, Lyric Theatre / Lindsay
The Bed Before Yesterday (1975) Ella, Anderson Company
Teeth 'n' Smiles (1975) Maggie, Royal Court & Wyndhams
Macbeth (1974) Lady Macbeth, RSC
Man of Mode (1971) Harriet, RSC
The Balcony (1971) Elayne, RSC
Enemies (1971) Tatyana, RSC
Hamlet (1970) Ophelia, RSC
Two Gentlemen of Verona (1970) Julia, RSC
Richard III (1970) Lady Anne, RSC
Bartholomew Fair (1969) Mrs Littlewit, RSC
The Revenger's Tragedy (1969) Castiza, RSC
Troilus & Cressida (1968) Cressida, RSC
Much Ado About Nothing (1968) Hero, RSC
All's Well That Ends Well (1967) Diana, RSC
Anthony and Cleopatra (1965) Cleopatra, National Youth Theatre

TV (Date) Role

Prime Suspect VII (2006) Jane Tennison
Elizabeth I (2005) Elizabeth I
Prime Suspect VI (2003) Jane Tennison
The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (2002) Karen Stone
Door to Door (2002) Mrs. Porter
Georgetown (2002) Annabelle Garrison
The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999) Ayn Rand
Painted Lady (1997) Maggie Sheridan
Losing Chase (1996) Chase
Prime Suspect V (1996) DCI Jane Tennison
Prime Suspect IV (1995) DCI Jane Tennison
Prime Suspect III (1993) DCI Jane Tennison
The Hidden Room (1993) Sarah
Prime Suspect II (1992) DCI Jane Tennison
Prime Suspect (1990) DCI Jane Tennison
Red King, White Knight (1989) Anna
Cause Celebre (1987) Alma Rattenbury
Coming Through (1985) Frieda von Richtofen Weekley
Cymbeline (1982) Imogen
Mrs Reinhart (1981) Mrs Reinhart
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981) Titania
The Quiz Kid (1979) Joanne
Oresteia (1979) Cassandra
Blue Remembered Hills (1979) Angela
As You Like It (1978) Rosalind
The Country Wife (1977) Margery Pinchwife
The Collection (1976) Stella
Caesar And Claretta (1975) Claretta Petacci
The Philanthropist (1975) Celia
The Apple Cart (1975) Orinthia
Bellamire (1974) Bellamira
The Changeling (1974) Beatrice-Joanna
Little Minister (1975) Babbie
Jackanory (1974)
Coffin For The Bride (1974) Stella McKenzie
Miss Julie (1973) Miss Julie
Cousin Bette (1972) Valerie
Behind The Scenes (1972)

The material is taken from the official site of Dame Helen Mirren http://www.helenmirren.com.